


Sweet Dreams 'til Sunbeams Find You

by writermegs17



Series: The Ellie Chronicles [4]
Category: Smallville, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 10:35:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19721923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writermegs17/pseuds/writermegs17
Summary: 4 year-old Ellie has a particularly bad nightmare and her parents come to her rescue.





	Sweet Dreams 'til Sunbeams Find You

At four years old Ellie Lane-Kent was many things, a daddy’s girl obsessed with her father's heroics, an independent little thing with her mother’s quick wit and strong will, and a beautiful little girl who loves princesses and pink. Like most four-year-olds, Ellie struggled with nightmares, only her nightmares involved things far from your regular monsters under the bed and closer to all things kryptonian. Her parents knew this of course, which is why Clark was in her room within nanoseconds of her first scream.

“Ellie, shhh, it’s okay, it’s just another bad dream, you’re safe, I promise.” He says, settling himself next to her so she can lay her head on his chest

“But Daddy, the scary people took you and Mommy away.” Ellie sobs.

“I know, baby girl, but it wasn’t real, I’m right here.”

“But I’m still scared. I don’t want you and Mommy to go away. Never ever.”

“You know we’d never leave you, we both love you so much.”

“I know, but what if somebody found out about you and took you away cause your special?”

Clarks heart shatters instantly, Ellie was exceptionally smart for her age and he hated that it gave her so many fears.

“Ellie, you don’t have to worry about that. Ever. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that, Daddy. People are mean.”

“Maybe you’re right, but you know what I _can_ promise?”

“What?”’

“That almost nobody else in the _whole world_ besides family knows about me, so it would be really really hard for someone to take me away from my favorite little girl, alright?

Ellie smiles just a little. “Okay. I believe you.”

“Good, now I think it’s time for you to close those pretty little eyes of yours and go to sleep.” Clark says, kissing Ellie’s forehead.

“Can’t, still too scared.”

“Then I’ll stay right here until you’re not scared anymore. How does that sound?”

“Thanks Daddy, I love you.”

“I love you more. Now I need you to be brave, and try to go back to sleep, cause I’m sure you have a very busy day tomorrow. What do you say Ellie Bean?”

“Okay, but I wanna talk to Mommy first, by myself.” Ellie says firmly, placing her hands on her hips, and Clark can’t help but smile at how assertive his little girl is, just like her mother.

“I’ll go get her for you.”

A moment later, Lois walks into the room and sits herself on the edge of the bed so Ellie can look up at her

“Hey peanut, your daddy said you wanted to talk to me, what’s up?” Lois never pictured herself as the type to call her kid corny names like peanut, but it made Ellie feel safe, so she stuck with it.

“If something happens to Daddy, do I have to be a superhero?” Ellie says, her big blue eyes full of concern.

Lois thinks for a minute, puzzled as to why her little girl could already be worried about this.

“No Ellie, you don’t, but why are you so worried about your daddy? He always comes home to us.”

“Cause your mommy died, and his daddy and I thought maybe everyone’s mommy or daddy gets taken away.”

Lois pulls her daughter closer to her, kissing her forehead. “Oh Elinor, my sweet, sweet girl. That’s not true.”

“It’s not?”

“No baby, sometimes things like that just happen.”

“But why?”

“Because this world isn’t always good, but I _promise_ your daddy and I will always try our very best to protect you from the bad things.”

“Okay, I believe you, but I didn’t tell Daddy because I didn’t want him to get sad. I hate it when Daddy’s sad.”

“You’re so good, Ellie. You’re always thinking about other people, just like your Daddy.”

“You always say that, but I think I’m like you.”

Lois smiles, her daughter’s big-eyed smiles were always so convincing. “Oh yeah, what makes you say that.

“Well Daddy says I’m brave, and so are you, Mama. Plus, we’re both _very_ good at getting what we want from Daddy.”  
“Yeah, we are, aren’t we? Goodnight, baby girl.” Lois says, kissing Ellie’s cheek, and shutting off the light

“Wait, Mommy...Can I sleep with you and Daddy? I know I’m supposed to be brave right now, but I don’t want to be alone.”  
“Of course you can, c’mere peanut.”  
When Lois settles Ellie down in the bed between both of her parents, Clark smiles softly at the little girl. “Hi Sweetheart, I’m sorry you couldn’t sleep in your room tonight, you must have been pretty scared, huh?”

“I tried to be brave, Daddy I really did.” Ellie says sniffling a little.

“Shhh, look at me, you are the bravest little girl in the galaxy, Elinor, Martha Lane-Kent, I can promise you that.”

“I am?”

“Yeah, you are. Everybody gets scared sometimes, even me.”  
“But you’re the bravest ever?”  
“You know what scares me, Ellie? I get scared of anything ever happening to you or your mommy. You two are the most important thing in the world to me.”

“Okay, I’m gonna go to sleep now, night Daddy, night Mommy.”

“Goodnight Ellie, sleep with the angels, okay? Clark says, kissing Ellie’s forehead, and Lois just smiles, not wanting to interrupt the sweetness she feels while reveling in the joy she feels witnessing in the incredible bond between her two favorite people.

“It’s because of me, isn’t it?” Clark says after a few minutes of counting the rises and falls of Ellie’s chest while she dreams.

Lois looks at him, a little concerned. “Clark, what are you talking about?”

“She wouldn’t be so scared if I wasn’t facing danger all the time.”  
“Don’t say that, it’s not your fault. She’s just like every other four-year-old, they’re all scared of losing their parents.”  
“But if something happens to me…”  
“Nothing ever will.”  
“I can’t always believe that, it’s a hard thing to do, especially now that we have Ellie.

“It’s okay, I have enough faith in our destiny for both of us.”

“I love you. You always know what to say to save me from myself.”  
Lois smiles, her eyes happily gazing at the sleeping child in front of them, and then turning back to heart eyes at her husband “One save at a time.”

XXX  
When the sun peeks through the window the next morning, Clark smiles, Ellie looked so small sandwiched between her parents, but the important thing was that she was safe, the events of last night soon to be forgotten. A moment passes and Ellie opens her eyes and stretches her arms high above her head before turning to face her daddy.

“Morning Daddy.” She says, a bright smile spreading across her face as she presses a sticky kiss to her father’s cheek.

“Morning Ellie Bean, did you get back to sleep okay?” Clark asks her.

“Uh huh! No more scary things.”  
“Well I’m glad, but listen kiddo, you have to be quiet or you’re gonna wake up your mommy.”  
“She’s _not_ a morning person.” Ellie says serious as can be.”  
Clark chuckles, sometimes his daughter’s attitude was pure Lois.

“Easy on the sass, Ellie.”

“But you don’t care when Mommy uses it.”  
“That’s because she’s a grownup, you’re a little girl and I’m not ready for my baby to inherit Mommy’s attitude yet.”  
“Okay.”  
“That’s my girl.”

At first sight of her mother’s open eyes Ellie pounces on top of her. “Morning Mommy.”

“Geez peanut, I didn’t know I hired a jumping alarm clock.” Lois teases, kissing Ellie on the forehead.

“I told her not to wake you.” Clark adds

“I appreciate that, but its Saturday, and neither of us have to go into The Planet today, so I can’t imagine wasting another second of Ellie time.”  
“Really? You always work on Saturday?’”

“Well, when you’re as decorated and prestigious as I am, you get to pull a few strings sometimes.”

“Yay!”  
“Yeah, I thought you’d like that.”

“Can we lay in bed all day and watch my princess movies?”  
“I don’t see why not?”  
Do you think it’s a good idea, Daddy?” Ellie asks with bright eyes.

“I do, but I think there’s something else we should do first.” Clark says, flashing his daughter a smirk.

“What?”  
“This.” Clark says tickling Ellie’s sides until she erupts into a fit of giggles

“Daddy! Stop it, that tickles!” Ellie squeals

“Oh alright, but not until we drag your mommy into this tickle fight, deal?  
“Deal.”  
“Oh no, not again!” Lois says, feigning surprise to add to the symphony that is her daughter’s giggles.

Ellie’s smile as the sunshine peaks through the window to immerse the happy family in its glow is like a sign that she would always be safe, no matter what scary things Ellie faces, she would always have her parents’ love and that love would always be stronger than the fear any bedtime monster could threaten to bring


End file.
